Tehran to file case against Saddam

Iran is preparing a criminal complaint to present at any international court that may try former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein over the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

15 Dec 2003 11:43 GMT

Saddam was backed by US, Britain and France during war against Tehran

Government spokesman Abd Allah Ramazanzadeh said on Monday that the foreign ministry had already taken some steps on the matter.

"I hope we can defend Iranians' rightful demands at a proper place," he told a news conference.

About 300,000 Iranians were killed in the eight year war, including thousands who succumbed to chemical weapons attacks used by the Iraqi army.

He said an international court "should determine who equipped this dictator to disrupt our region and impose three big crises on our region," referring to Saddam's invasion of Iran, Kuwait and then the US invasion of Iraq itself.

Old friends

Saddam is known to have had the support of the United States, Britain, France, several other European countries as well as a number of key Arab states - including Saudi Arabia and Egypt - when he attacked Iran.

Ramazanzadeh said that while the Iraqi people should have priority in trying Saddam for the crimes he committed in his own country, "that doesn't negate the rights of others for filing a suit at international circles against him".

Iran has longstanding war reparations claims against Iraq for their bloody war which Saddam launched in 1980 with an invasion of his eastern neighbour.

Ramazanzadeh said the issue of reparations was a government-to-government matter and that Iran's attitude on pressing its claims would depend on its relations with the future Iraqi government.